Vertically adjustable folding table



June 23, 1964 R. E. R. MONDINEU 3,138,122

VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE Filed April 21, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1

Fig.2

2 4 INVENTOR.

REMY ETIENNE ROGER MONDINEU WwWW ATTORNEYS June 1964 R. E. R. MONDINEU 3,

VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE Filed April 21, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

Fig.4

INVENTOR. REMY ETIENNE ROGER MONDINEU ATTORNEYS VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE Filed April 21, 196

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig-7 INVENTOR. REMY ETIENNE ROGER MONDINEU ATTORNEYS June 23, 19 R. E. R. MONDINEU VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 21, 1961 Fig.1]

INVENTOR. REMY ETIENNE ROGER MONDINEU s MkW- ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,138,122 VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE FOLDING TABLE Rmy Etienne Roger Mondineu, 1 Rue des Grands Augustins, Paris, France Filed Apr. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 104,653 Claims priority, application France Oct. 21, 1960 2 Claims. (Cl. 108-112) The present invention seeks to produce a foldable and wheelable table in which there is an independent movement of the cross-member assemblies and trays.

Another object of the invention is to mount an abutment on this table which, while limiting the distance between the legs, eliminates the risk of pinching the fingers when it is opened. The table is designed for ease in manufacture.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the trays which are connected by small connecting rods are mounted on a mobile frame and are limited in their movements in the horizontal position by a slide.

Another purpose of the invention is to produce a table in which the trays, when placed horizontally, bear upon struts, which thus operate under compression.

The invention also relates to the characteristics hereinafter described and to their various possible communications.

A table according to the invention is shown by way of non-restrictive example in the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the unfolded table;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the folded table;

FIGURE 3 is a partial plan view of the articulation of the trays on the mobile frame;

FIGURE 4 is a view of that articulation;

FIGURE 5 is a view of the articulation of the legs of the table on the fixed upright;

FIGURE 6 is a view seen from above of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a detail view of the device for locking the mobile frame;

FIGURE 8 is an example of a notch made in the fixed lateral uprights;

FIGURE 9 is a detailed view of the articulations of the cross-members on the fixed lateral upright as well as the abutment limiting the movement of these crossmembers;

FIGURE 10 is a view seen from above of FIGURE 9;

'FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of the slide Where the struts slide which limits the movement of the trays;

FIGURE 12 is a view showing a lower end of a strut;

FIGURE 13 shows the table with a panel of the lower shelf folded.

According to the invention (see FIGURE 1), this table comprises a mobile frame 1 having two horizontal rectangular section cross bars 1 and two vertical uprights, having a U-shaped cross section and 1 open at the exterior. Two identical assemblies 2, independent of one another are positioned on either side of the mobile frame 1 and each has as central part, a cylindrical section 2 acting as a slide for the mobile frame 1, and having a cap 3 at its upper end, which hinges, by means of an articulation spindle 4 the cross-member 2 and 2 of the table. This cap also acts as a stop and thus limiting the distance apart of the legs of the table.

On the cross bars 1 of the mobile frame 1, lugs 1 are soldered acting as articulation spindles for the trays 5.

3,138,122 Patented June 23, 1964 The two tiers of the table are connected together by small connecting rods 6 which are pivoted to the outer corners of the upper and lower trays. The rods 6 enable the two tiers to be turned down at the same time with the struts 7 acting to limit the movement of the trays 5 in the vertical position. The struts 7 operate under compression and are hinged at their upper part on the first tier of trays and slide at their lower part by means of a stud 6 (see FIGS. 11 and 12) in the slots 1 provided on the uprights 1 of the mobile frame. The struts 7 hold the trays in a horizontal position by means of a stud 6 on the lower end of the strut engaging the lower end of the slot 1 The trays 5 are divided in two and ticulations (see FIGURES 3 and 4).

These articulations are made around the screw 1 being soldered on to the uprights of the mobile frame 1 At the top part of the mobile frame a locking system 8 is fixed on the slide 1 which acts to position it, thus enabling the trays to be used at the required height.

The locking system 8 consists (see FIGURE 7) of an articulation spindle 8 soldered by means of lugs 8 and 8 on to the lateral upright 1 of the mobile frame and a locking member 8 whose lower parts consist of. a small tongue 8 which engages in the notches (see FIGURE 8) made in the vertical uprights of the spindle 2 The operating of this locking device is elfected by levers 8 and 8 a spring 8 wound around the spindle tending to bring the tongue piece of the lever into the notches 8 at the lower part of the cross-members of the table there are articulated rods (see FIGURE 5) on pivots 2 fixed on a small plate 2 and springs 2 connected to the rods and plate, tending continually to bring the cross-members to their closed position.

A table made thus enables it to be collapsed to the folded position (see FIGURE 2) to occupy a very small space and also facilitate transport or stowing it away, or it can be speedily placed in position for use by spreading out the cross-members and turning down the trays to the horizontal position. The height of the trays can also be varied by means of the mobile frame and the locking system. The table described above also has the advantage of being able to have the lower half of a tray turned down (see FIGURE 13) which enables the user to accommodate his legs under the table and thus be able to easily write or take his meals on it.

The table can also be converted into turning down half of each tier of trays.

It will also be noted that the uprights 1 of the frame axis which are of cylindrical section may be of square section or any other shape and that tables according to the invention may comprise more than two tiers.

What I claim is:

1. A table construction comprising a first frame having a plurality of vertical supporting legs, means pivotally engaging said legs with said frame, a second frame having vertical uprights, means interengaging said vertical uprights and said first frame for vertical relative adjustment of said first and second frames, a plurality of table panels, means pivotally securing at least an upper and a lower table panel in vertically aligned tiers to said second frame along horizontal axes, a plurality of connecting rods extending between corresponding positions at the side edges remote from said horizontal axes of said two table panels, means pivotally interengaging the ends of said rods and connected by ara pier-table by said panels whereby said panels may be pivoted about their respective axes simultaneously with the movement of one panel guiding the movement of the other through said rods, and said rods are of a length to permit rotation of said lower panel farther and into a different position than said upper panel, means forming vertically oriented channels in fixed relation to said second frame, a plurality of supporting means each pivotally secured at one end to the upper of said table panels and at the other end slidably engaging one of said channels.

2. A table construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprise struts formed with interlocking means for interlocking said channels and struts at ends defined by said channels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,304,847 Blais May 27, 1919 2,844,257 Friedman July 22, 1958 2,938,632 Mondineu May 31, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,164,931 France May 19, 1958 

1. A TABLE CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A FIRST FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL SUPPORTING LEGS, MEANS PIVOTALLY ENGAGING SAID LEGS WITH SAID FRAME, A SECOND FRAME HAVING VERTICAL UPRIGHTS, MEANS INTERENGAGING SAID VERTICAL UPRIGHTS AND SAID FIRST FRAME FOR VERTICAL RELATIVE ADJUSTMENT OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND FRAMES, A PLURALITY OF TABLE PANELS, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING AT LEAST AN UPPER AND A LOWER TABLE PANEL IN VERTICALLY ALIGNED TIERS TO SAID SECOND FRAME ALONG HORIZONTAL AXES, A PLURALITY OF CONNECTING RODS EXTENDING BETWEEN CORRESPONDING POSITIONS AT THE SIDE EDGES REMOTE FROM SAID HORIZONTAL AXES OF SAID TWO TABLE PANELS, MEANS PIVOTALLY INTERENGAGING THE ENDS OF SAID RODS AND SAID PANELS WHEREBY SAID PANELS MAY BE PIVOTED ABOUT THEIR RESPECTIVE AXES SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE MOVEMENT OF ONE PANEL GUIDING THE MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER THROUGH SAID RODS, AND SAID RODS ARE OF A LENGTH TO PERMIT ROTATION OF SAID LOWER PANEL FARTHER AND INTO A DIFFERENT POSITION THAN SAID UPPER PANEL, MEANS FORMING VERTICALLY ORIENTED CHANNELS IN FIXED RELATION TO SAID SECOND FRAME, A PLURALITY OF SUPPORTING MEANS EACH PIVOTALLY SECURED AT ONE END TO THE UPPER OF SAID TABLE PANELS AND AT THE OTHER END SLIDABLY ENGAGING ONE OF SAID CHANNELS. 